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When Li Jinghuan first arrived at Ling Long's home, he was taken aback. It was a dilapidated thatched cottage by the river, and inside, aside from a makeshift table cobbled together from old wood, there was only a rickety bed where her father lay, a man in his fifties beset by illness.
Ling Long approached him gently, helping her father sit up while massaging his shoulders. "Father, I won twenty coins today. In a year or two, when I've saved enough money, we can see a doctor," she said.
Li Jinghuan stood frozen in place, unsure whether to step forward or retreat, feeling extremely awkward.
Later, after serving her father dinner, Ling Long took a basin of clothes to the riverbank for washing. She explained that their family used to be in business, but after suffering losses, her mother had run off with a wealthy man in anger, and soon after, her father fell gravely ill. They had sought out famous doctors but ended up losing everything. A year ago, hearing about a miraculous physician in Qingyuan County, they had come here, but the consultation fees were exorbitant. Now she could only make ends meet by washing clothes for others, saving every coin she could.
The world around them was tranquil, with only the sound of the washing mallet breaking the silence. After some time, as the moon rose high in the sky, Li Jinghuan asked, "How much do you earn for washing clothes all day?"
"Three coins," Ling Long replied.
"Alright then. Starting tomorrow, you can help me at the fruit shop for four coins a day and two meals included. How does that sound?" Li Jinghuan proposed.
"Really?" Ling Long exclaimed, jumping up and grabbing his sleeve as if letting go would cause the four coins to slip away.
Li Jinghuan playfully pinched her nose and teased, "Of course! Just...," he pointed at her stomach, "don't eat me out of house and home."
Ling Long touched her nose and blushed instantly. Realizing he might have been too forward, Li Jinghuan turned to remind her gently, "Tomorrow at six o'clock. Don't be late."
With the promotion of the Watermelon Contest, business gradually improved. For the next month, Ling Long came to the shop every day to help him out. Although it was called helping him watch the stall, Li Jinghuan was almost always there too—most of the time joking with her or playing word games. Though the work was light, her wages soared from four coins to ten. He also increasingly walked her home afterward. At first, she felt shy about it; later on, it became second nature to her. Occasionally when he couldn't walk her home due to other commitments, she would lightly tap his shoulder and tease him for a while.
She understood his feelings for her well. Several times she thought that this fruit shop and him were destined to be her home for life.
Until one day, everything changed.
That day was the Qixi Festival, and the town was bustling with excitement. Li Jinghuan closed his shop and took Ling Long to the riverside to release river lanterns. After thinking for a moment, Ling Long carefully wrote down her wish and then bent down to gently place the pale pink lantern into the water.
However, Li Jinghuan had other ideas. He quietly followed her, wanting to sneak a peek at the lantern before it drifted too far away. But Ling Long wouldn’t let him see it; she blocked his way, slipped on the ground, and with a splash, fell into the river.
“Ling Long!” Li Jinghuan was startled, but instinctively froze in place—he couldn’t swim. As Ling Long struggled in the water, she saw this and felt a chill run through her. She choked on some water and was instantly engulfed by the river.
Just when Li Jinghuan was at a loss and shouting for help, a foreigner with blue eyes and blonde hair leaped into the river. When Ling Long was pulled out, her consciousness was hazy; her lips moved as she called out for Jinghuan with a sobbing voice. But then her head drooped, and she fell unconscious.
The foreigner checked her breath and leaned down slowly to press his mouth against Ling Long's lips. Seeing this, Li Jinghuan hurriedly pushed him away and shouted, “What are you doing?”
The foreigner replied in broken Chinese, “This girl’s breathing is weak; if we don’t perform artificial respiration, she won’t survive.”
Li Jinghuan was stunned by those last words, watching helplessly as the stranger's mouth met hers. His head buzzed with confusion as he could only stand by in shock. In that moment, he realized how much space she had occupied in his heart.
“Ling Long.” He clasped his hands together in silent prayer but inadvertently caught sight of the pale pink lantern that had washed ashore.
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